Blessing
by Starflower-Gem
Summary: Part I The Unicorn's Child: Harry never had a real family, until one fateful night during first year when a trek into the Forest for a detention with Malfoy has him forming a familial bond with the most unlikeliest of 'people'. But not all is well, and something truly horrible is lurking in the forest waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Do YOU believe in the boogieman?


_**Pairings: eventual Slash & het, I doubt we'll be seeing any real romance for a while, give everyone a bit of time to mature a bit.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!**_

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_**Blessing**_

_**Book I: The Unicorn's Child**_

_**Chapter 1**_

The forbidden Forest was dark and silent and more then a little creepy, with a thick layer of white fog curling over the ground in lazy rolls that licked up the sides of the boy's feet as they crept nervously through the underbrush.

Malfoy's breathing was loud to Harry's ear's, loud and heavy and very scared sounding. Harry couldn't blame the other boy for being frightened and he agreed whole heartedly with his previous statement (even if Harry would _never _say it to the blonds' face.)

The forbidden forest was _forbidden_, there had to be a very good reason Proffessor Dumbledore told them it was out of bounds so Harry thought it was a little on the odd side that they were now being forced on a wild goose chase through the grasping branches.

The detention itself sounded simple enough, find the injured unicorn then signal for Hagrid. But there was just one thing that was really bothering Harry about this seemingly harmless assignment…just how had the Unicorn gotten injured enough that it needed actual treatment. It was a wild animal, shouldn't it be able to take care of itself?

Besides, he was only eleven! What was he supposed to do if they ran into something dangerous? Harry cast a surreptitious glance back at Fang, the dog was cowering behind Malfoy…a lot of help _he_ would be.

It was as he was turning back around that it happened. He spotted a shimmery silver puddle off to their left, hidden just so. He took a step towards it then froze when Malfoy let out a surprise gasp and went suddenly rigid.

Thinking something had happened to the other boy Harry spun around, but Malfoy was only staring ahead of him, his usually intense silver eyes now a glossy milky color. Harry suppressed a shudder at the sight, Malfoy's eyes no longer had any pupils and he was staring ahead of himself blankly.

Harry stepped towards him, cautious worry chasing away the usual burning fires of hatred. "Malfoy?" He called cautiously, reaching out to wave a hand in front of his face, "Malfoy!" He called a little more desperately, "What's wrong? Are you alright?" But he got no response whatsoever.

A low keening cry from behind him reminded Harry of the unicorn and he spun around again, suddenly uncertain.

Something was obviously wrong with Malfoy, but there was also an injured unicorn around here somewhere and it was his job to find the poor thing.

His breathing came faster and faster as he debated with himself on what he should do.

The keening came again, a low pain filled sound that had Fang whimpering and pacing agitatedly.

Harry couldn't leave the poor thing if it was in pain, he glanced down at the silver droplets scattering the leaves in front of him, then back over his shoulder at the frozen form of his rival. Malfoy was fine from what he could see, and it didn't look like he was going to be wandering off alone either.

Mind made up Harry reached forward, carefully avoiding the blood, and drew back the branches hiding the unicorn from sight.

He crept silently through the break he'd made in the foliage on the side of the trail and glanced around. It was darker here, the light of the lantern Malfoy was holding blocked by the leaves now behind him, and he also thought the fog was thicker here. He couldn't see the ground he was standing on, nor anything in front of him.

Slowly Harry advanced, glancing around warily into the darkness, straining his eyes behind his thick glasses.

He rounded a huge tree not five yards from the path and came to an abrupt stop, even his breathing stopped as he stared at the scene in front of him, eyes wide with fright.

He had found the injured unicorn. Unfortunately, he had also found what had injured it and whatever it was, was crouched over the felled beast and looked, to Harry, to be feeding.

Harry let out an involuntary gasp and took a small step back, fear making his heart race. It was enough noise to draw the creatures attention from it's meal and it's head snapped up and turned in Harry's direction.

Harry caught sight of a ghastly white not quite human face and blaring red eyes before the thing flew at him.

He was thrown into a tree, the creature bearing down over him, talon-esk claws dug into Harry's side and shoulder, drawing a pained scream from Harry's dry lips. Fangs glinted inches from his face, dripping with the tainted silver blood of the unicorn.

Tears gathered at the corners of Harry's eyes and he squirmed, trying to get free, but the creature was as tall as an adult man and much stronger then the child. Struggling was getting him nowhere, fast, but Harry was a fighter, he wasn't about to give up now. He opened his mouth to scream, but choked instead when the creature moved it's claw from his shoulder to his neck, cutting off his air and his voice. Infuriated and panicking Harry kicked out blindly and started squirming all the harder.

Just as his vision was starting to blur from lack of air his attacker was ripped away and he dropped to the ground. Harry lay coughing and gasping for breath, clutching at his throat and watching out of watery eyes as the unicorn he'd just saved slammed a huge silvery hoof into the offending monster's chest, sending it across the small clearing.

The unicorn moved in front of Harry, lowering it's horn towards the other creature in obvious warning.

Harry watched weekly as the creature wavered, swaying side to side like some odd humanoid cobra. It hissed, baring it's long fangs at them, before turning and vanishing into the forest.

The unicorn remained standing protectively over Harry for long minutes, just watching where the predator had disappeared before turning it's head to look down at Harry.

Harry was a wreck, the creature had not been afraid of injuring Harry at all, he had deep cuts in his neck, shoulder and sides from the beasts claws, and his breath rattled through his abused throat to escape passed chapped lips. A smear of unicorn blood led down one cheek from where the monster had dripped on his face.

Wise black eyes looked down on the child before the beautiful unicorn laid down at his side, mindless as their blood mixed on the forest floor. The child was shaking something awful, and the unicorn pressed it's face to the boy's ear, nuzzling him comfortingly. The move unintentionally aligned her neck wound, where the monster had been feeding from, with the child's own neck injury, their blood mingling there as well.

Harry was frozen stiff, unsure what to do as the large, beautiful creature lay down beside him and nuzzled his face. He felt a low burning in his neck, but ignored it as he broke down, his arms coming up to hug the unicorns neck and he buried his face just under it's jaw, his trembling increasing as silent sobs wracked his body.

**_~~~Blessing~~~_**

Back on the path Malfoy gasped, his whole body jerking violently as his eyes bled from white to silver. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees, slumping forward until he was braced on his hands, his head bowed in front of him.

He sat there, breathing long calming breaths, not opening his eyes as he listened to Fang's quiet whimpers and the muffled sobs he knew was Potter.

Draco couldn't be certain how long he knelt there on the cold forest floor, listening to Potter's hiccupping sobs. Fan had long since made a tactical retreat back towards the castle before Draco felt even remotely strong enough to drag himself to is feet.

He glared off in the direction the cowardly mutt had run off in. So much for man's best friend, the thought bitterly, before turning to where Potter had disappeared before.

His head was pounding something awful and he was more then just a little confused. He would tackle his confusion and headache later, for now he was more terrified that the…thing… that had attacked Potter and the unicorn would come back.

Potter, he somehow _knew_ was in no condition to confront the beast again, and…well…it was just rude to ask a unicorn to fight. No, Draco was certain that if that monster returned it would be up to _him_ to drive it off and there was no way in Merlin's moldy beard that _Draco _was going to be doing anything as dangerous and potentially lethal as that.

So it was up to him to get them out of there before it became an issue.

And why was Draco Malfoy, slimy Slytherin extraordinaire and bane of Harry Potter's existence thinking up ways to get said Potter back to the castle safely?

Well, that was one of the many 'confusions' he would be handling later. Now was obviously not the time.

Draco closed his eyes for a brief moment to steady himself and push the pain in his head to the back of his mind, then stumbled forward on shaky legs towards where his school mate was hidden off-path.

He didn't make it very far before a wave of dizziness descended on him and he had to stop and lean against a nearby tree in order to get his bearings again.

He was very weak at first and his whole body trembled slightly, but as he moved into the trees the trembling stopped and took the weakness with it. It wasn't long before Draco was striding into the small clearing Harry and his Unicorn lay.

Draco paused just inside the clearing and watched in silence as Potter lay cuddled against the side of the unicorn, one small hand tucked up under his cheek and his eyes closed. His sobbing had faded away, though the traces of his tears had left trails of shimmering silver on his cheeks, glinting pale in the moonlight.

He looked so peaceful laying there that Draco almost decided against waking him, and just leaving him to sleep with the Unicorn, but then those large dark eyes rolled over him and the sheer gravity behind the unicorns heavy stare was enough to remind him that, no matter how peaceful he may look and how tempting it was to let him rest the fact remained that it was not safe here.

Draco nodded to her solemnly, I will let him know what happened here tonight, Great Lady." His voice was soft, barely a whisper on the wind but he was positive the unicorn heard and understood his word.

Dark eyes regarded him thoughtfully, before she bent her neck down and gently nudged Harry awake. Harry would have none of that and turned to tuck closer to her body, burying his face in her side and shoving lightly at her nose, mumbling quietly under his breath.

The unicorn puffed on his hand in amusement and a giggle issued from the hidden Gryffindor.

Draco couldn't keep a small smile of his own off his face as he walked forward slowly to crouch next to the other boy, "Are you able to stand?" He asked the smaller boy gently, voice still soft so he would not startle him.

Harry peaked one large green eye out at him as he thought about the question. He winced as he shook his head negatively, obviously displeased with his own weakness.

"It's fine, and perfectly understandable. Come on," Draco added, placing his hands under Potter's arms, "Up you get." With the unicorn's help they were able to situate Harry on Draco's back. Harry patted the unicorn's nose in goodbye then Draco started back to the castle.

It was a silent walk for the most part, both boys lost in their own thoughts. Draco was working on unraveling the confusion laying heavily on his mind, and Harry tackling whatever it was that Gryffindor's thought about (which Draco was certain he never wanted to know about anyway).

"Malfoy." Harry's voice finally broke the silence, his chin was perched on one of Draco's shoulders as he stared at the path from his spot on Draco's back. Draco hitched the boy up from where he'd been slipping, then continued on, humming his acknowledgement to Potter's inquiry. "What happened back there?"

Draco cast a sidelong look at the other boy, "And what makes you think _I_ know? You're the one who ran off the path not me."

Potter physically drooped, like a flower wilting under the harsh rays of the sun, "Oh, I-I guess you wouldn't know after all."

He sounded so dejected that Draco rolled his eyes and huffed out an answer he wasn't ready to think about yet, much less talk about, "I may not have been _with _you physically, but I do know what happened." He revealed, "I'm not sure what it was that attacked that unicorn, only that it was evil in it's purest form. I'm not sure how everything happened, I'm not all-knowing….and some of what I do know I can't tell you." Draco perked his lips peevishly, unsure where _that _little rule had come from, "But…I will tell you this, I can't make fun of you for not having a mum anymore."

Harry turned his head and stared at him with the largest green eyes Draco had ever seen, his expression utterly baffled. "What?"

"That unicorn just adopted you Harry."

Harry just continued to stare at Draco in utter incomprehension, and Draco marched on unconcerned into the predawn light of early morning.

Hagrid and Ron were waiting for them at the edge of the forest, the cowardly Fan peering guiltily out at them from behind Hagrid's meaty legs.

Hagrid beamed at Harry, clapping Ron on the back and unintentionally throwing the boy forward a few good feet. "See Ron," the half giant bugled, "Told ya 'arry would be al'righ', din' I?"

Harry felt Malfoy stiffen under him at the clear dismissal of any sort of concern for the blonds health and safety, Harry knew that even if Malfoy didn't like Hagrid that would still hurt. He tightened his hold on the other boy and turned to hide his face in the larger boy's neck.

He was still feeling shaky and weak after his ordeal and he really didn't want to bother with the rest of the world just yet. His world just kept shifting around him and he was still trying to find his feet. This last toss up had really thrown him and there had been an unmistakable shift in his and Malfoy's relationship. He couldn't be certain what it was at this point, but he was very much aware that it had taken place.

At the moment all Harry wanted to do was return to the tower and crawl into bed and shut out the rest of the world. The boy-who-lived was never so lucky though, and his movement into Malfoy seemed to have woken Ron from his stupor. The redhead seem to finally take in what his eyes had been telling him for the last few minutes: Draco Malfoy was giving Harry Potter a piggy-back ride.

This simple fact broke what little sanity the Weasley had and he sputtered indignantly, highly offended by the sight. "Wha-Harry?! What's going on?" He paused for a moment before deciding that was not at all what he wanted to know, "What are you _doing?"_

Hearing the offended tone to his best friend's voice Harry peaked an eye open and peered at the other boy from out of one half closed emerald orb. The red faced red head shifted uncomfortably when all Harry did was stare at him, he'd never noticed how unnerving those eyes could be before.

Harry had no idea what the older boy was thinking, and his questions didn't make much sense. "We found what was hurting the unicorns." He muttered at last, deciding to answer the first question first and causing both Ron and Hagrid to snap to attention, "m' not sure what it was but its gone now, though I don't know for how long." He closed his eye again and rested his head on Malfoy's shoulder, "As for what I'm doing? I'd really like to go to bed now, if that's alright?" He yawned widely, nuzzling closer to Malfoy unintentionally in his increasingly sleepy state. "We did what we were told, the unicorn's fine Hagrid, is detention over yet?"

Hagrid's face softened as he looked at Harry's innocently tired expression, "Yea 'arry, detention's over fer tonigh. Malfoy, would you min' takin im down to see Poppy fer a quick check up afore bed?"

Draco huffed, but shrugged the shoulder Harry wasn't resting on and headed towards the castle, ignoring the Weasel's angry grumbling behind him.

Let him gripe, Malfoy decided, It wasn't like he'd _been_ there he hadn't seen that…_thing_…attack Harry, nor had he seen the unicorn bond with the small Gryffindor. Draco figured Weasel had _no_ room to talk.

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_**AN: Okay, so a few quick notes. This will likely be the longest AN you'll see from me. First, for everyone who read my story The Unicorn Prince, this is the rewrite...more or less. It's had a complete makeover as you can see and I doubt you'll find much that parallels the two stories other then Harry being a Unicorn and Draco being a Seer...even the pairings will be different. So, sorry but Harry and Draco will not be together in this story. Draco will be playing a big part, but I have other idea's for the boy and the part he will play. He and Harry will have a sort of brotherly/best friend-ish type relationship, please help me keep it that way. I'm so used to putting the two together so if something starts looking more romantic then brotherly please tell me so I can fix it. **_

_**Now, I will not be rewriting the HP books, that is not the point of this story, you can assume everything happens more or less the same unless I say otherwise. **_

_**I hope everyone likes this new version, just keep in mind that because of the events of this story the boys will not act like they do in the actual books and I did this very deliberately.**_

_**I love feedback, be it in the form of 'update!' or guesses as to what happens next (those can actually come in handy by the way...and it's a way to have a say of where the story goes...just so you know)...also I'd like it if, at any point in time you are confused with something that happened or my writing wasn't clear please tell me. **_

_**Review!**_


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